do you think people should have to have a parenting licence?...?

Question

before having children?

I just read this :

http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/parentinglicense/

so thought id ask on here, i agree with them personally.

id think thatd be selfishness on their part though, to let them have a child just because they want one, you have to think about the child, if they are too lazy to keep their house clean, or druggies they dont deserve a child.

Answer 1

Yes! People should have to apply for a license to have a child. They should have a background check, a psychological test, everything. Children are too precious to end up in the care of some pervert, abuser, or someone without the resources to properly raise a child.

Answer 2

While the reasoning behind the petition to have a parenting license may be valid, parents don't buy children from a pet store, and it's already unwanted children that are placed for adoption...both the store and the adoption agency has the right and the responsibility to do a background check on the potential caretaker of the pet or a child but it is absolutely impossible for any government or social or religious organisation to prevent a woman from getting pregnant before she completes a parenting course. Really now, how do they propose the state go about doing that? How about if we advocate more education for young girls on pregnancy/self esteem and abuse issues? It's children that grow up to be dysfunctional adults that are unable to parent a child because they were neglected, as in monkey see monkey do! Social Service Agencies are overwhelmed with cases they can't handle, or inadequate staffing etc., and we have a welfare system that isn't able to weed out mothers who give birth for more money because that affects the child. We are living in an out of control society and the only solution is education and empowerment. The solutions become less effective if we can't prevent the problem to begin with. We need to educate young girls, as they are the ones that give birth, and what we need less of is one more ineffective solution that will be as ineffective as too many other governmental programs - I say let's give the power back to the people so that they can be better citizens, and when there is any sign of abuse or neglect, for heavens sake, TAKE ACTION. Get involved. Make a difference.

Answer 3

PERMACULTURE ANSWER:

Nobody should have to have a parenting license. Questions like these highlight how far we as a society have deviated from good models of parenting and family life. The problem here is how we arrange our society. Children are everybody's responsibility, or should be. The whole community, including all generations should be involved in the care and welfare of our children. Government intervention SHOULD NEVER be necessary.

I am not suggesting some hippie commune but what this question misses is that we are all parts of the same system. We are co-dependent. IF we interact in ways in which we support those less able to parent then we all benefit from responsible, productive fellow citizens, less crime, more social responsibility, fewer taxes.

There are already well researched and effective ways to support those who struggle with parenting from education, inclusion, community, design, support networks (mum and toddler groups) housing design the list is endless. Look at
the massive earnings gap between the richest and poorest in society, our taxation legislation, our low expectations of the young. People in society with no role or function because they have no 'paid' employment. Everyone has value and a role. We need to design that back into our lives.

Housing is not just about somewhere to live, it is about community. Shared responsibilities and offers infinite benefits. Design communities. Design solutions.

EDIT:

Permaculture is sometimes believed only to be a agricultural method by the uniformed. However, this is not the case it is a whole systems approach. The system (the people who live near each other including different generations) have social norms. It is advantageous to comply with these norms, such as limiting family size in order to get the benefits they offer.

Governments should not control Pregnancy individuals should want to limit their family size as part of their ethics. Permaculture reaches across boundaries, religions, social classes, gender and sexuality.

Answer 4

I don't think it's a good idea for drug users to have children, nor do I think child abusers should have children, but I disagree with the idea of parent licenses, because what if a person whose lifelong dream was to have a child is unjustly denied a license? Injustices occur all the time and the processes of government systems move too slowly for an efficient appeals process.
I don't think that average citizens should have to suffer through a licensing process because of the riff-raff in the world who treat children as a novelty.

Answer 5

This is a bit of a non-question.

How would you police such a rule? It's not that hard to get pregnant, and I can't imagine the health police who would drag women off, kicking and screaming, for a compulsory abortion.

I agree with all those who think a lot of babies born to inadequate parents have no chance; they're booked to be a disaster to themselves and the rest of us. Only, how do you stop it? With all the extra clout of a fascistic dictatorship, the Chinese couldn't make the one-child policy stick: how could it possibly work here, when the charter of human rights includes the right to found a family?

If we can't stop bad driving, by definition done in public, how can we stop undesirable conceptions, almost always done in the strictest privacy?

Answer 6

Absolutely! I think parenting should be taught to anyone that are thinking of having children.
You need a licence to drive a car responsibility. You should have to have a licence to bring up children responsibility too.
I think a child is way more valuable than a car don't you?
Children don't get a choice where or who they are born to, but society does.
I think that this will be severally difficult to do. People considerate it their right to have children, no matter what kind of people they are and then you will get the "right to lifers".
There should be more educational programs in schools like "adopt an egg" and those fake babies are great too.

Answer 7

Not exactly, BUT I DO THINK more could be done to prepare young people.
I know some people get given a virtual doll but i think all teanagers should be given a brief parenting course when they are in their GCSE year after exams instead of being allowed to finish i think they should have to do a parenting course & maybe even work experience in a nursery or childrens home or somewhere like that!
Maybe then there MIGHT not be quite so many young or unwanted pregnancys!

Answer 8

Permaculture blah blah blah. Great if your children are plants.

Pregnancy should be controlled, but good luck implementing it. Until the Christian church comes to terms with human sexuality and is separated from state there is no control possible.

Answer 9

yep here we go - throw a few more coals in the boiler & full steam ahead to 1984

Why don't we just sterilise those considered unworthy. oops! sorry - they tried that one in Germany - and look how that ended up.

Answer 10

What exactly are you going to do with all the children of the unlicenced people who engage in sex?